Loch Mullardoch To Loch Beinn A' Mheadhoin Tunnel, Mullardoch Generating Station

This power station lies on the tunnel inlet which takes water from Loch Mullardoch (see separate item), which is the main storage component for Fasnakyle power station, into Loch Bein a Mhedoin (see separate item). The station takes advantage of the small drop in level between the two lochs with a small single turbine. The access to the station is via a single shaft, a situation which is unique in Scotland. This station is predominantly an underground feature, with gate house tower downstream of it, used to isolate the tunnel beyond the most significant above ground feature. The turbine hall is approximately 100 feet beneath the entrance level of the station. The 2.4 megawatt turbine is of francis type and is linked to a gearbox which turns the motion through 90 degrees due to constrictions on space on the turbine hall floor. PL Payne, 1988, 5; E Wood, 2002, 38; J Miller, 2002.

http://canmore.rcahms.gov.uk/en/site/81412/details/mullardoch+dam/

The Affric/ Beauly scheme

The work was begun on the construction of Mullardoch Dam in 1947. This is of the mass gravity type and is 2385 feet in length by 160 feet in height, impounding 7.5 million cubic feet of water. A tunnel was excavated from Loch Mullardoch to Loch Benevan, and another from the latter loch to Fasnakyle, the main power station on the River Affric, both tunnels being over three miles in length. The Fasnakyle tunnel splits into three steel-lined tunnels near the power station, each supplying a 22,000kW vertical Francis turbo-alternator.

The second stage of the scheme involved the Rivers Farrar and Beauly. Water is impounded in Loch Monar by the Monar Dam, supplying the Deanie power station at the west end of Loch Bennacharan which is dammed at the east end to feed Culligran power station, whose outflow to the River Farrar then flows into the River Glass. These power stations generate 38MW and 24MW respectively. The River Glass flows into the River Beauly which has dams and power stations at Aigas and Kilmorack, each a 20MW run of river station. These dams are provided with flood control, Borland fish passes and compensation water facilities with or without generation. The scheme was completed in 1963.

Information from NRHE, catalogue item number WP007424 compiled by George Walker, 2005.